I awoke with a strangled cry, startled to find him standing over me.
The Stalker, dressed all in black like always.
Sure, I've seen him before, but never up close. Watching me from a darkened doorway, peering through the slats of the dingy blinds in an abandoned house, sitting in the next car over on the subway, standing on the opposite curb as I waited for the Walk signal.
For the most part, I've gotten over being afraid. In the beginning, I was terrified. Double- and triple-bolting the doors, nailing the windows shut, willing to take my chances on burning up in a house fire as long as he couldn't get me. I'd worry that he'd gotten in the house while I was out, check every nook and cranny, places he couldn't possibly fit, my frenzied imagination granting him superhuman powers. Maybe he could shrink himself to the size of a mouse, wait for me to let my guard down, reassume his normal size and come after me as I soaked in the tub or watched TV.
I bought the gun a long time ago. I used to carry it everywhere, even around the house, but it's lying in a drawer now, gathering dust. Who knows if it even works anymore? Do bullets have an expiration date like medicine and batteries? Guess it's a little late to go Google it now.
You know what they say: after awhile you can get used to anything, even a hulking stranger all in black stalking your every move. Okay, nobody says the last part, but I'm saying it. I mean, I still have a life to live. Work, bills, parties, dates. Although my dating life's not so great—it's hard to be intimate with someone when there's always someone else watching. I know people are into that, but for non-exhibitionist me, it puts a damper on things.